Kalamata Olive Bread

Kalamata Olive Bread (no knead)
A rustic Mediterranean loaf based on New York Times' Jim Lahey's  recipe, the famous No-Knead Artisan Bread.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.  

Time: About 1½ hours plus 15 to 20 hours rising

Ingredients
3 cups (430g) all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1 1/2 cups (345g) cool water
1/4  teaspoon dry instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
12oz jar of Greek kalamata olives (or about 1 1/2 cups)

Cornmeal or additional flour for dusting
Special equipment needed: 5 qt dutch oven.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, salt, and drained olives.  Add 1 1/2c water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, pre-heat oven to 450F. Place a 5 1/2-quart cast iron covered pot in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is browned. Cool on a rack.


Bonus: Serve with herbed butter, recipe below.

Herbed Butter
2 cups butter, softened
2 garlic cloves
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients until well blended.  Serve at room temp.